Enabling USB tethering programmatically - there is an app that did it for 2.3

Question

I've read many questions here on SO that ask how to enable USB tethering programmatically.

The answer is always the same, ordinary applications can't do it, only system apps.

Yet for 2.3 you could download an app in the market that would do it for you.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.tdtran.autousbtethering

On ICS (Android 4.0.3) it no longer works.

How did they do it for 2.3? Is it possible also for 4.0?

Answer 1

using the following code you can enable USB tethering. i didt test in 4.0.

 public void switchOnTethering() {

                Object obj = getSystemService(Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE);
                for (Method m : obj.getClass().getDeclaredMethods()) {

                    if (m.getName().equals("tether")) {
                        try {
                            m.invoke(obj, "usb0");
                        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
                            // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                            e.printStackTrace();
                        } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
                            // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                            e.printStackTrace();
                        } catch (InvocationTargetException e) {
                            // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                            e.printStackTrace();
                        }
                    }
                }
        }

Answer 2

ICS and above: To execute the reflection method, the application would require the WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS permission.

This is not available unless the phone is rooted.